IviDvo

One of the best conversational dramas I've seen, downright original and quite topical, funny, sad and a little, or maybe even a lot, depressing at the same time. The end adds a subversive dimension to everything that happened at that dinner – eccellente!

My first encounter with David Lynch was quite a hard nut to crack. One expects a denouement, but in the last thirty minutes something completely different comes along to mess with your head even more. Furious at the lack of denouement and total incomprehension, I went to Google to find some explanation, and when the AHA! moment came, I decided that the film was actually very good :D My great admiration goes to those who got it :D (Is anyone really like that? If so, I'm expecting a message) Naomi Watts is amazing here and the strange dark and mysterious atmosphere has a lot going for it. Usually with films like this I feel the need to rewatch them to let it all sink in, but here I'm hesitant because it's quite long and actually pretty grim and heavy, just hard. Nevertheless, I am happy I watched it.

Just the other day I thought I hadn't seen a good comedy in a while, and lo and behold, I came across this gem. Even though it is a few years old now, at this point, in all the flurry of shallow, cheesy wannabe comedies that force laughter out of the viewer, this was absolutely fantastic, fresh and novel humour – I laughed my heart out every five minutes. I was incredibly entertained by both lead actors and they were a great match for each other.

Days after watching this series, I still think about the story, and when I remember it, I am overwhelmed with a heavy feeling of helplessness and sadness. How just one single act or two words could have changed something, reversed something. If only people would treat each other better and show their feelings – I guess I'm naive :) I also think it didn't have to end the way it did, but anyone who says that nothing that bad actually happened and that there was no reason to, either never was a victim of bullying themselves, never was mocked, or just isn't empathetic enough. After all, teenagers are so vulnerable. The emotions and the sheer gravity of the stories we hear from the tapes intensify with each episode. I enjoyed this series and it moved me a lot. The credit for this goes to the story itself, of course, but mainly to the acting and the first-class soundtrack. I was pleasantly surprised by Dylan Minnette, he always reminded me of his fellow actor Logan Lerman, who I always thought was better, but I have to say that Dylan as Clay won me over. It may seem illogical to some that he didn't listen to the tapes in one night, I agree with that too, but I can imagine myself not getting into it for fear of what I would hear about myself. Katherine Langford as Hannah is another revelation for me, I believed her every tear and cheered for her so much, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. A truly fabulous series that, if it weren't so sad, I'd watch again.

I don’t want to go on another date, ever :D You meet a handsome man who has a decent and fulfilling job and then this? What a downer! The script can’t be said to be revolutionary or that the actors deserve an Oscar, despite the fact that their performances are very good, but you are left gasping at the darkness and the terrifying kind of depravity of the sociopathic protagonist, whose calmness and patience are chilling in some situations, and whose erratic nature doesn't let you breathe a sigh of relief as you wait for some kind of explosion and how it will actually end. Another user here perfectly captured the mood when they wrote that this is not a film where something happens all the time, but a film that gradually gets under your skin and builds an atmosphere – I couldn't have written it better. An excellent Max Riemelt, whom I see as a bad guy for the first time, and great music to complement the chilling and depressing mood. All in all, a pleasant surprise that will arouse unpleasant feelings in you.

I've loved the original since I was a child, and I know every scene by heart, so maybe I was too critical the first time I watched this film. At its core, this tale has everything the original has, and then some. Let's start with the songs, Alan Menken created a musical masterpiece in 1991, his songs are captivating and immortal, listening to them always warms my heart. In 2017, he adds a couple of new ones that are also melodic, easy to remember, and that keep the spirit of the original songs. They also added some pretty good new scenes that explain a bit more about the main characters. As for the cast, I was very happy with Dan Stevens, he convinced me of his acting qualities a long time ago and he portrays the Beast beautifully, and they also did a great job translating his real facial expressions to the final beast form – but more of the visual effects later. Emma Watson seemed a bit too stiff at times, but otherwise she handled it well, including the singing. The best is perhaps Luke Evans, who physically and vocally resembles his animated character the most and his antics are very enjoyable. I'm incredibly ashamed that I didn't recognize Ewan McGregor – and I've listened to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack at least a thousand times – he handled the French accent brilliantly. The rest of the cast is just perfect, including Ian McKellen, who will always be a heartthrob of mine. Finally, I'll mention the visuals, which are a chapter in themselves. In the cinema I regretted not having my glasses with me to enjoy the wonderful effects sharply enough. The "Be our guest" scene was the one I was most curious about and it exceeded my expectations – what am I going to go into here, absolutely all the visuals were simply amazing, from the aforementioned Beast, to the village, to the castle decorations, to Bella's iconic dress, everything.

A pretty original and fun premise from the world of science that entertained me a lot for two thirds of the film. It has plenty of wit and a bit of cute romance, but I'm somewhat uneasy about the ending. I understand that you have to take it with a grain of salt, but I guess I wasn't in the mood for something like that. And yet, it’s such a happy ending – long live the penguins :)

Although the film is from 2011, the stylization, the cinematography and the narrative are reminiscent of films from the 1990s, which is quite a nice change. It's been a long time since I've come across a really deep, dramatic and touching romantic story that affected me in some way, and it didn't happen here either, despite the fact that the acting is very good. Maybe I prefer the classic step by step narrative where I can gradually build a relationship with the characters, where I root for them to get together and stay together. Here, by jumping from the past to the present, the portrayal of the main characters' relationship lacks momentum and then the main plot seems like a side plot...

Playing eleven characters in such a way that you don't actually realise that they are all played by one single actress is what Tatiana Maslany can do. When I watch this show, I feel like there are so many characters, and yet almost all of them are played by Tatiana, and I take my hat off to her for that, because she handles it brilliantly. I still enjoy the story, but the best part is really her acting. There's a fifth season coming up and I can't wait to see Tatiana on screen again.

I liked just about every scene, except for the one with the alien, which is probably a bit of a bummer for a film with “Alien" in the tile. Visually everything works beautifully, great cinematography, great sets, even the visual effects are great. The big Alien was cool, but the white hybrids were unnecessary, though I guess I understand they were trying to come up with something new. It could have been a great film, but unfortunately there are too many "oh noooo" moments where I almost rolled my eyes (the main prize here goes to the "birth"). But it wasn't as bad as Prometheus, so I'm giving it one more star. The actors were excellent, although I was a bit surprised by the choice of the duo "The Prince and the Pauper", but that's not a complaint, on the contrary, I can't fault the actors, but I would love to ask Scott if he is really happy with his "work".